Daniel Lewis

Sun 15 October 2023 19:10, UK

David Moyes may have to rethink his plans to use Mohammed Kudus in a number 10 role at West Ham.

The big-money signing from Ajax has been slowly eased into the side, taking up positions pretty much across attacking midfield and up top in his eight appearances to date.

It remains to be seen exactly where Moyes plans to use Kudus once he becomes a regular starter, but playing centrally just off the striker does not look like a wise choice.

That is if his performance in Ghana’s 2-0 friendly defeat to Mexico at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina in the early hours of Sunday (15 October) is anything to go by.

With Kudus playing the full 90 minutes, Ghana failed to so much as register a single shot on target as Chris Hughton tasted defeat for the first time as Black Stars manager.

As pointed out by Owuraku Ampofo on Twitter (15 October), Kudus had just 17 touches of the ball in the first half, which the 3Sports Ghana reporter labelled “criminal”.

Kudus would go on to have only 36 touches in 90 minutes [Fotmob], while he was dispossessed a game-high four times and completed just two of his eight dribbles.

Indeed, with just nine passes attempted in the whole match, it is fair to say Kudus was shut out of the contest – ironically by club-mate Edson Alvarez, who started in the Mexico midfield.

West Ham boss Moyes simply cannot afford for the 23-year-old to go missing if used in that position, which acts as the link between the likes of Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, and whoever it is – usually Michail Antonio – up top.

Moyes is expected to continue taking the slow approach with Kudus, and it may well be that he is used out on the right, with Jarrod Bowen moving into a centre-forward role, once he is fully integrated into the side.

Either way, let’s just hope this showing against Mexico was a one-off for Kudus.

In other West Ham news, Fabrizio Romano has shared details on the Hammers’ reported interest in Manchester United defender Harry Maguire.